Our pals at Presspop share these photos of the mocked-up cover and slipcase design by Chris Ware for their upcoming collected edition of Gajo Sakamoto's classic Tank Tankuro manga. Purty.

Tony Millionaire reveals this teaser image from the live-action Sock Monkey something-or-other.

Today's Online Commentary & Diversions:

• Commentary: At Robot 6, Chris Arrant lists the major Daniel Clowes stories that haven't been adapted for film yet and speculates on what those hypothetical films might be like

• Coming Attractions: Library Journal's "Graphic Novels Prepub Alert" spotlights Isle of 100,000 Graves by Jason & Fabien Vehlmann ("Looks like a peg-leg captain and his mates have to fight aliens on a desert island-it's a trap. [...] Jason specializes in droll yet melancholy stories with a cast of goofy, anthropomorphic animals...") and Mr. Twee Deedle: Raggedy Ann's Sprightly Cousin: The Forgotten Fantasy Masterpieces of Johnny Gruelle ("This second in [a] line overseen by [Rick] Marschall, a historian of popular culture, reprints a beautiful and whimsical-surrealistic color strip about a wood sprite who befriends two human children. Gruelle is known for his Raggedy Ann illustrated children's books.")

Just arrived in our warehouse and ready to ship:

The Strange Case of Edward Gorey (Expanded Hardcover Edition)
by Alexander Theroux

168-page black & white 6.25" x 9.25" hardcover • $19.99
ISBN: 978-1-60699-384-2

Previews & Ordering Info

The Strange Case of Edward Gorey is the most authentic portrait yet of this truly enigmatic American artist and writer of macabre, ghoulish illustrated books. It is a respectful and insightful consideration not only of the intriguing pen-and-ink drawings but of the inventive, opinionated and eccentric person himself. A balletomane, cat-lover, unbelievably wide reader, collector of many and surprising objects, and mad filmgoer, Gorey had many selves. In this in-depth study of the man he had come to know over thirty years, Alexander Theroux, the novelist who has a literary genius all his own, examines every facet of this mysterious artist who left New York City to live year-round on Cape Cod for the last third of his life where for years, along with producing book after book, he found time to write and direct numerous evening-length entertainments, often featuring his own papier-mâché puppets in an ensemble known as La Theatricule Stoique.

No ordinary account could ever do justice to such an anomalous character, but Theroux with his depth of understanding, keen eye, literary gifts, and astonishing intelligence, never flinches and this loving but analytical account in its sympathy and range of one of America’s most complicated artists is unsparingly brilliant.

“Just read a few weeks ago your book on Gorey and enjoyed it very much.” – Cormac McCarthy, April, 2010

Paul Hornschemeier officially announces the grand opening of the Forlorn Funnies Store, an online emporium of original artwork and other merch. Go give the guy some of your money why don't you?

Prince Valiant Vol. 3: 1941-1942
by Hal Foster

112-page full-color 10.25" x 14" hardcover • $29.99
ISBN: 978-1-60699-407-8

Ships in: February 2011 (subject to change) — Pre-Order Now

With this volume, Foster reaches (by common critical consensus) the peak of his drawing and storytelling prowess – a peak at which he will remain for most of the run of this glorious strip.

Almost the entirety of 1941’s strips feature a single ten-month epic entitled “Fights for the Singing Sword,” a globetrotting adventure fueled by Valiant’s obsessive search for his bride-to-be Aleta throughout Northern Africa, with stops in Jerusalem, the Arabic deserts, and, inevitably, a harem which Val must infiltrate. Then finally, in “The Misty Isles” Valiant meets Aleta face to face but upon learning that she has had his crew killed (deservedly so, actually, but still), he flees in anger, vowing never to see her again.

“Homeward Bound,” Valiant continues his travels, with stops in Athens (where he meets the boisterous Viking Boltar, who will become his friend for life), North Africa, and Gaul (where Valiant liberates Gawain), before finally returning to Camelot. But his joyous return is short-lived as an alliance of Picts and Vikings threatens Britain’s security, and thus Valiant must journey forth with, as his ultimate destination, “The Roman Wall.”

The final pages of this volume boast a special feature: a gallery of images that were censored for being too sexy or violent (or subject to other editorial interference) prior to publication, plus another gruesome example of Foster's art being altered for publication, all with commentary by series editor Kim Thompson.

Download an EXCLUSIVE 12-page PDF excerpt which includes Dan Nadel's Foreword and 10 strips (9.5 MB). Also, read editor Kim Thompson's Afterword from Vol. 1, detailing the production and restoration of these new editions, right here on our website.

Video & Photo Slideshow Preview (view in new window):

Exclusive Savings: Order Prince Valiant Vols. 1-3 together and save 20% off the combined cover prices!

Via Tony Millionaire comes this news story of a drunken owl detained by the authorities in Germany — it's like some kind of real-life mashup of Billy Hazelnuts and the Crazy Bird and a Maakies strip.

Aw man, the title of the video gives away the punchline! It's Wednesday which means it's time for another new animated Yikes! cartoon from Steven Weissman and his talent-soaked pals. I like how Li'l Bloody is singing the Casiotone demo song.

UPDATE: Ah, Steven has changed the title to a non-spoiler now!

Another page from Athos in America (coming late 2011) from Jason on his blog. This has text from the French translation. In English: "Hey! Don't forget your fucking slut magazines! What will you do if you don't know who's fucking Paris Hilton this week?!" Ouch, bad breakup! Jason also posted the thumbnail breakdowns for this and several surrounding pages.

Here's the package with the final 20 pages from Jim Woodring's forthcoming Congress of the Animals which we teased you about yesterday. Jim just came by to pick them up and dropped a bit of news on us: his next graphic novel after Congress of the Animals will be titled (drum roll)...

Poochytown!